Polish president appoints Ewa Kopacz next PM

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Poland’s president has appointed Parliament Speaker Ewa Kopacz to be the next prime minister and given her the task of assembling the new Cabinet.

Kopacz succeeds Donald Tusk, who resigned as government leader after being chosen to head the European Council.

Kopacz said Monday she will compose a “good government”. She has two weeks for that.

Polish media speculate that popular Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski will be promoted to parliament speaker, the nation’s second-most powerful position, a move which would be expected to help the ruling coalition in next year’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

The new Cabinet is to be sworn in on September 22 and then will need to obtain the Parliament’s backing, probably at an extraordinary session on September 27.

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski (R) designates Ewa Kopacz as next Prime Minister in Belweder Palace in Warsaw of Poland on September 15. Ewa Kopacz replaces centrist Donald Tusk after he was tapped as the new president of the European Council – AFP